KANSAS CITY — Food safety is more important than ever. Bakers can’t afford to introduce any additional risk, so many of them are incorporating inspection technology earlier in the process.

“Adding metal detectors to the front of production lines, such as for inspecting incoming ingredients, will ensure that no metal contamination enters the process where it could damage equipment and/or be broken down into smaller pieces that may go undetected at the end-of-line inspection,” said Todd Grube, product manager, inspection systems, Heat and Control.

Incorporating vision systems at various points can create added value, explained Erica Vannini, sales and customer service, EyePro System.

“We see more and more customers are interested in simpler systems without integrated rejection to monitor and control the different steps of the process,” she said. “This allows them to improve their production along the line, acting in a fast way, and avoiding the same mistakes to be repeated on more products.”

EyePro technologies can be incorporated at various points on the line including 3D-scanning systems that can be used in the forming and proofing areas and color vision systems after the oven. For tortilla production, the company offers vision process control after the press to ensure product diameters are on spec. This also saves space for inspections at various points on the line.

“We integrate the metal detector chosen by the customer into our vision system, providing a dual-stage rejection mechanism driven by our processing control unit,” Ms. Vannini said. “In this way, we obtain a significant space saving, allowing the use of two separate waste bins for vision and metal detector rejects.”

In an ever-changing landscape, product variety is essential for making quick shifts. The right inspection technology in the right combinations will be key to keeping products of all sizes safe and sound.